Murfreesboro veteran hoping to raise money to buy wheelchair-accessible van

By Robb Coles

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    MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (WTVF) — A trip to the supermarket or a doctor’s appointment, it’s an ordinary task for many people.

However, for folks with limited mobility, getting from point A to point B can be a struggle. For Bobby Beard life hasn’t always been as still as it is now.

“I was a cook in the Air Force for four years,” Beard said.

Beard followed up serving our country, by serving up food in middle Tennessee.

“I cooked for about 30 years…Nascar Cafe, I worked at the University Club of Vanderbilt.” Beard said.

Six years ago, a stroke left him paralyzed on one side and confined to a wheelchair.

Since then he’s been in a nursing home, and now a single-family home-style residential facility.

He’s keeping up his spirits, and there are still many places he’d like to go.

“I decided I wasn’t gonna let it get me down,” Beard said.

His wheelchair won’t fit in his caregiver’s car, so he relies on a van service that requires booking days in advance.

According to Beard, even after booking early, the ride can end up getting canceled.

“I had an appointment I missed last week because a ride didn’t show up, I have an appointment this week that’s very important. I got a procedure Thursday for my heart,” Beard said.

Beard dreams of one day having a van of his own.

His caregiver, Susan Allen would be able to drive him to life-saving appointments and life-nourishing trips many consider mundane.

“He said I haven’t been in the supermarket forever,” Beard said.

With the lift for his chair and brackets to hold him in, it’s an expensive aspiration.

“It’s maybe $20,000, $15,000-$20,000 for a used one,” Beard said.

But it’s a wish that the veteran is holding onto.

“I know the good lord has more in store for me,” Beard said.

If you’d like to get in touch with Bobby Beard, you can email him at BobbyBeard470@gmail.com.

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